I’m glad my daughter loves this time of year and Halloween fun just as much as I do. The Franklin Fright at the Franklin Institute is one of our favorite places to go. It’s even better when our cousins join us.
All the best,
Tanya
While her hair and body dangled upside down, there were no screams nor cries. My nine year not only put on a brave but happy face as she got on the twister, a crazy, intense ride for some, at Six Flags Great Adventure.
Would I’ve been fearless enough to get on by myself at Quinn’s age next to all of the teens and adults? I think I would have chickened out without a riding buddy. This makes me so proud of her as I believe this is an indicator of how brave she is and will continue to be in life. Even is she has to go it alone, she is fearless and will let nothing stop her!
All the best,
Tanya
Something most kids and some adults look forward to during this time of year is fun and the Halloween treats. Hersheypark is the best place to have both, so my sister and I took our girls yesterday.
Though it felt more crowded than during the summer, the weather was sunny and warm. Plus, the boardwalk was transformed into “Treatville” where both kids and adults could get some classic and new Hershey candy.
How I just love this time of year and the opportunity to have memorable moments with my family.
All the best,
Tanya
On this absolutely beautiful autumn day there’s no place I’d rather be than with my “boos” at the Philadelphia Zoo. Since my daughter was a toddler, we’ve been getting dressed up and heading to the zoo for some October fun, and for the past five years or so, it’s become an annual cousin outing with my mom (their nana), and we have so much fun together.
Quinn and I both look forward to getting dressed up, and this year was no different. Since we’ve been super heroes in the past, we decided to go as supervillains: Harley Quinn and Joker. I just love our matching costumes and bonding time.
Here’s to many more fun October events to come!
All the best,
Tanya
It’s that time of the year: October, autumn, harvest fun and Halloween activities! Today, Quinn and I went to a not-so-scary Halloween event with multiple displays at our local mall with my sister and niece.
Though it was much smaller than we anticipated, the displays were nicely done, and we enjoyed spending time together.
Here’s to more Halloween and fall activities in the weeks to come.
All the best,
Tanya
Since my daughter was a toddler, we’ve been going to the pumpkin patch to get pumpkins. It’s something the entire family, including my mom (Quinn’s Nana) enjoys. All week, we’ve checked the weather and watched the chance of rain fluctuate from a 30 percent chance of rain to a 100 percent chance of rain. The question loomed over us: would we be keeping with tradition and going to the pumpkin patch the first weekend in October or postponing our plans.
Lucky us! There were clear skies for a brief “patch” of time, and we excitedly yet quickly picked out our pumpkins for Halloween decorating. Though we didn’t do the hayride or corn maze, it was still wonderful having that time together and keeping our tradition.
All the best,
Tanya
I love dressing up with my daughter for Halloween, so when we both decided on being “Tune Squad” characters, Lola Bunny and Granny, after seeing the new Space Jam Legacy movie over the summer, the wheels were turning on how to bring our characters to life.
Granny was much easier than Lola Bunny. I ordered the Tune Squad jersey top and shorts through Amazon, and then ordered the sweatshirt through Etsy, just in case it got chilly. My granny wig, accompanied with glasses, a glasses chain and necklace came from Amazon as well. It just so happened that I had blue tights to wear under my shorts and blue and orange sneakers to match my outfit.
Lola Bunny, on the other hand, required me to use my creativity and crafting skills. It was hard to find the kid-size thick jersey top and shorts, but I stumbled upon a Tune Squad dress on Target’s website. I then found the blonde wig through Amazon. Though there were some rabbit ears available, they were either the wrong color or just looked cheap. So I decided to make Lola Bunny ears after watching a helpful YouTube video. I got all of my supplies, including a cute tail to add to the dress, from Joann Fabrics, and they turned out better than I had hoped.
Since Quinn’s dress was sleeveless, a sweatshirt would definitely be needed, but after searching for a while, I failed to find a Tune Squad sweatshirt for kids in blue. So I ordered a plain blue sweatshirt through Amazon, purchased picture files through Etsy, printed out the images on iron-on paper, and made a Tune Squad sweatshirt with Lola Bunny. Quinn loved it and thought I purchased it that way. I also found a Lola Bunny mask on Etsy, which was perfect!
The take our costume to the next level, we found a matching Tune Squad jersey for our toy poodle and a basketball purse for trick or treating.
Of course, doing Halloween activities, family fun and trick or treating makes it all a memorable experience. But putting my time, effort and creativity into making our costumes come to life makes it that much more special!
Happy Halloween!
All the best,
Tanya
Yesterday, my sister, niece, daughter and I all went to Six Flags Great Adventure for a good time. It was packed! The crowd was enormous! Even the Flash pass line had over an hour wait, but we didn’t care. We were there for some outdoor fun. Though we didn’t get on many rides due to the crazy lines, just walking around the amusement park, doing a little trick or treating in the kids’ section and enjoying the atmosphere was enough to put a smile on my daughter’s face. Sometimes, that’s all we need. 🎃😊
All the best,
Tanya
“I’m so excited! We’re all going to be back together again, Mommy!” My daughter said as we got ready this morning. When I informed Quinn that we’ve seen our cousins and her Nana (my mom), she said, yes, but this is the first time since the pandemic that we’ll be together. The last time was actually at Boo at the Zoo in 2019.
After many restrictions and adjusting to the many new norms, I felt a sense of joy knowing that we would finally be reconnecting with our usual crew too. We all came ready in our cool and creative costumes with smiles on our faces, occasionally behind our masks while in large groups, and had a great time trick or treating while strolling along and seeing the animals. There was a chance of not just rain but thunderstorms. Instead, the sun was shining, and it was unseasonably warm. We didn’t even need our sweatshirts and got ice cream to cool off.
I just love seeing Quinn with her cousins having a blast. We both missed these interactions so much and am glad we were able to have fun together this year at one of our favorite Halloween events.
All the best,
Tanya
We’re officially in fall and October! It’s one of my favorite months to do activities with my family, especially my daughter. Last year, with the COVID restrictions, I broke tradition and headed to the nearest supermarket to pick out our Halloween pumpkins to decorate. Though we both were okay with this deviation from our usual monthly plans, knowing that we would be restoring our tradition and going to a pumpkin patch this year filled us with excitement. We were so happy to have my mom, Quinn’s Nana, accompany us as she’s done since Quinn was a toddler. This was just a another reminder of what we both missed last year to allow us to appreciate it even more this year.
For the past few years, we’ve gone to Shady Brook Farms and enjoyed ourselves, but we decided to try somewhere new, Kohler Farms. While they did not has as many activities, they were about a third of the cost. Also, it was still a fun experience as we enjoyed the sights on the hayride to the pumpkin patch, navigated our way through the corn maze and selected are precious pumpkins to decorate. Then with those savings, we dined at a nearby restaurant afterward and had some well-needed family togetherness.
Of course, I could’ve just stopped by a supermarket or Home Depot to pick up pumpkins again this year and maybe even had saved some money, but the family togetherness, smiles and happy moments with Quinn are totally worth it. Here’s to a great October building fun-filled memories with my family!
Best,
Tanya
Mommy's Baby Steps 